The Narendra Modi led NDA government has successfully completed five years of governance. It has its own share of successes and failures. But one thing that can not be denied is that, it was different from the successive governments at the center. The differences were largely not in the governance part but the way the government portrayed the governance among its citizens. Narendra Modi touted his government taking advantage of the supportive media and social media.

The Prime Minister was the prime spokesperson of the government. One of the rhetoric that Prime Minister used to convince the people of India is that his government was the best in countering terrorism and terrorist activities in the country. He has been selling this pitch again and again during the ongoing election process. But one question that needs to be answered is that whether the rhetoric holds any truth. Has India been successful in getting relief from terrorism? Is Modi the most successful leader in resolving the cause? The answer being a big NO.

Terrorism in India is not today’s crisis. It has been there for many decades. All the governments have faced the challenge of dealing with the terrorist activates. But the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi is projecting himself and his government as the crusader of anti terrorism is not called for. If we keep the issue of Jammu and Kashmir aside for the sake of discussing later, India has had a very difficult period in Punjab, Assam and the LTTE. And the person who actively perused the issues was the dynamic Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Unlike Narendra Modi, he did not use these issues for political gains. His pragmatic approach resolved the terrorism issues to a great extent. During his tenure he signed the Punjab Accord and the Assam Accord in 1985. The Indo-Sri Lankan peace accord was signed in 1987. It was his priority to solve the issues by taking into confidence all the parties. Compare this with the Narendra Modi government. Has it taken any initiative to resolve the issues with understanding and mutual accord?

The Punjab Accord was made with taking into its fold all the parties. It was quite successful in resolving the crisis. Likewise the Mizo Accord and the Assam Accord were also signed by the Rajiv Gandhi government at the center. The troubles of the North East were resolved with all sides being involved. The Indo-Sri Lankan Accord of 1987 was a milestone in Indo Sri Lankan relationship. It also involved all the parties related to the issue. Rajiv Gandhi himself was assassinated by the LTTE in 1991.

When we come to the core issue of Jammu Kashmir, the Modi government has made the matters worst in the valley. Modi’s fight against terrorism has been publicised very well but the reality is otherwise. The number of terrorist attacks in the Valley rose to 626 during Modi’s tenure, a fivefold increase from the previous government. The number of Jawan’s killed during UPA two was 139, while it is 483 during the five years rule of Narendra Modi. The cease fire violations increased from 563 to 5596 during the Modi regime. The total Jammu and Kashmir Valley is in turmoil today as there is no state government for governance. The Modi Government marketed the Balakote airstrikes very well. But it did not answer the reasons why the Pulwama attacks happened. Why 40 CRPF Jawans had to give their lives? The situation in Jammu and Kashmir worsened because of the opportunistic and unholy alliance between the BJD and PDP. The alliance did not last more than three years and the turmoil continues. The Naxal menace has once again showing its ugly face in the recent past. After a gap of some silence, the Maoists are again active in various pockets of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand.

Taking all these issues we can say that Prime Minister Modi’s rhetoric that his is the only government that is fighting the battle against the extremists is not true. India’s able leaders have all faced some kind of crisis and successfully resolved them. They have never used them to sell their image. The real heroes of Indian democracy have laid down their lives for the country. Rajiv Gandhi was a leader class apart. Though he became a prime minister at the age of 40, his involvement with people made him mature enough to resolve the major issues. When compared with this, Narendra Modi has been broadcasting his oratory skills to diverting the failures in containing the terrorist activities. On the 21st May 2019, the nation will be paying tributes to Rajiv Gandhi, the leader who destined to change India into a developed one. Comparing both the leaders becomes necessary when we see that false propaganda taking the place of mainstream and truth being rewritten intentionally.